Kapil Dev's team jealous? 1983 World Cup-winner demands cash reward after Rohit Sharma's team bags ₹125 crore for T20 WC glory

A former India cricketer has questioned BCCI's intent and asked the board to reward the 1983 World Cup-winning squad with cash. In 1983, India lifted the Cricket World Cup for the first time ever.

Under the leadership of Kapil Dev, India went into the tournament as underdogs but caused major upsets throughout to lift the World Cup title. It was a historic moment in India's cricket history as it ignited the passion for the game among the Indians, which has crossed several levels in modern times.

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1983 World Cup winner asks BCCI to give cash reward to India's World Cup-winning squad

After winning the 1983 World Cup when the players approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for a cash reward, the board replied by saying that they don't have money. But now that the BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world, a player from the 1983 World Cup squad asked the board to reward that team with cash.

"Rs. 125 Crore is huge. Happy for Team India. Well, we were not given cash rewards at that time (after 1983 World Cup victory), because the board had said 'we don't have money'. Now they can give, what is stopping them?" a member of 1983 World Cup-winning Indian team said to IANS on the condition of anonymity.

The member also confirmed that only a few players of that squad are getting work while the rest are struggling.

"Only a few players (of that team) are getting work, rest are struggling. BCCI should look into it," he added.

Among the 1983 World Cup-winning squad, Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, K Srikkanth, and Kapil Dev are some of the renowned players who are working either as a cricket expert or a commentator.

1983 World Cup win a turning point in Indian cricket

In 1983, cricket wasn't as popular as it is today. But after the World Cup win, the love for the game kept on increasing as India started to produce world-class cricketers more regularly. The World Cup win in 1983 was truly a turning point in cricket's history.

After 1983, the next World Cup was hosted jointly by India and Pakistan in 1987 as the country slowly developed into a cricket-crazy nation. As India started producing world-class players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni and many more, the love for cricket went on to the next level.

India had to wait for 28 years to claim their next World Cup title. In 2011, MS Dhoni led India to their second ODI World Cup title with a magnificent win over Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Recently, India won the T20 World Cup 2024 by defeating South Africa in a thrilling final at Barbados. After the win, BCCI announced a cash reward of INR 125 Crore for the team, coaching staff, and support staff. The Indian team was provided the prize money during the felicitation ceremony at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.